For some parents, having a special needs child is the impetus to homeschool. Many families are choosing to homeschool because their special needs children’s needs are not being met in the traditional classroom. For others, it’s just one more challenge they aren’t sure how to face. Wherever you fall on the spectrum, homeschooling a special needs child is an adventure!
Homeschooling allows the flexibility for students to go at their own pace. You get the set the schedule. You can change the curriculum if it isn’t working. You can have one long work period, or several shorter work periods spaced out with transitional times. With family-style schooling, older special needs students can school alongside younger siblings, at the same level, without them feeling as though they’re “behind.”
It can daunting to think about what post-graduation brings for the special needs student, but s/he is in a great position as a homeschooler! In the upper grades years, homeschooling allows students the time to explore passions and career interests. Take some time to examine your special needs student’s strengths, combining those and their interests to find a career exploration starting point.
Background Information & Resources
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) covers thirteen specific disabilities, but its implementation varies widely from state to state when it comes to assisting homeschool families. Learning disabilities, autism spectrum disorders, health disabilities, impairments (speech, visual, hearing, orthopedic, and emotional), intellectual disabilities, and traumatic brain injuries are all addressed by the act. Check with your state department of education, and HSLDA, to see what your state will and won’t do for homeschooling students.
A federal agency, the Rehabilitation Services Administration provides vocational rehabilitation and other services to individuals with disabilities to maximize their employment and independence after the high school years. Each state has their own local agency to help work one-on-one with families.
SPED Homeschool and HSLDA are good general resources for any homeschooling family with special needs students. These resources are primarily for the younger student, but are a good place to start.
It’s time for pumpkin spice and everything nice! By autumn, we’re starting to settle into our homeschooling routine, thinking about upcoming holidays, and wondering how we’ll fit it all in… Here are activities, books, and resources for incorporating the holidays into your homeschool. Pick and choose what works best for your family. Happy fall, y’all!
All of these resources are appropriate for middle and high school.
A big part of our school year is the field trips. Generally, we will study a topic ahead of time and then take the field trip – this helps them to fully understand the hands-on experiences. The kids have been to nearly every state, and experienced a wide range of of historical, scientific, and cultural activities that they wouldn’t have been able to do solely in our home state. Not every family is able to road school, but that doesn’t mean that field trips shouldn’t be a part of your school.
Field Trips in Town
Attend a library program
Local historic architecture
Air Shows
Historic Re-enactments
Climb rocks
Historic Museums (some are free)
Pick-Your-Own Farm Visit
Zoo (only free on certain days, or with a pass)
Local newspaper
Factory tours (some are free)
Visit the beach, lake, or riverbank
State Fairs have homeschool days
Visit the local airport
Work in a community garden
Shadow a business (teens)
Animal workshop at the pet shop
Field Trip Starters
Zoo Studies — unit study bundle with sixteen zoo features
Check out the Roadschooling Page to find unit studies and field trips built around your location. There’s something for just about every state in the United States up there!
Finally, though these aren’t free, educational subscription boxes are a great way to bring the field trip into your home. Here are some of our favorites!
Use the world diversity book studies from Literary Adventures to travel the world from the comfort of your own home. You can go anywhere!
Some families choose a name, and even a mascot, for their homeschool. Some have Not-Back-to-School parties with their local co-ops. There are as many homeschool traditions as there are unique families! What do you do?
Back to Homeschool
Kick off the new school year with cute shirts for everyone! Get matching shirts and call them your family’s field trip uniform. 💖
Everyone is out buying back-to-school supplies….the neighborhood kids have cute, new clothes…and your kids are suddenly wondering why they aren’t having nearly as much fun going back to homeschool. But there are many fun ways to celebrate going back-to-homeschool!
Download several different Responsibility Charts & Writing through the Holidays packet, along with dozens of other goodies, free at Homeschool On the Range’s Subscriber’s Library.
A good planner can work wonders for keeping you organized from the get-go. This undated, reusable planner has you covered with daily plans, schoolwork, long-range planning, and meal organizers as well as chore charts and book lists!
It might seem daunting to create a unit study at first, but anyone is capable of creating a unit study in just a few easy steps.
Download your Unit Study Planner, and tailor homeschool to your kids’ interests!
On the airplane, they tell you to put your oxygen mask on before putting your children’s on…because we’re not really useful to others if we’re passed out. Or burnt out. Remember to take some time this year to focus on self-care.
You may be one of those families that has been homeschooling for 9 years or so and now are on the home stretch, or you may be new to the journey and have gotten in over your head and wondered if this is the right choice. Any and all of us could use a Booster Shot at some point…
Take a break from the drudgery and inject some uniqueness into your homeschool with book studies from Literary Adventures.
End of the Year
Is your feed flooded with pictures of kids receiving various awards at their schools? No need to feel left out. Homeschool kids deserve awards too! 😎 And we’re homeschooling, so you know what that means…..personalized awards!!!
If you’re new to homeschooling, or still in the stage of considering having a go at it, the prospect can be daunting. You look around at other homeschooling families, and they seem to have it all together, but we all started at the same spot you’re in right now….
The first thing to keep in mind is that relationships are more important than academics. Your kids’ hearts are more important than their grades or achievements. You are the most qualified person to be in charge of your child’s education, because you love them more than anyone else and want the best for them. Be confident!
In addition to these tips, we’ve put together a packet of Homeschool Helps, including planners, graphic organizers, record logs, and templates to help you on your journey!
Keep a record of all the books you read for school, not just the textbooks / curricula. This is especially important if you’re a Charlotte Mason or Unit Studies family. Read aloud to your children…no matter their age. The snuggles are priceless, and the books will often lead to soul-searching conversations with teens. If you’re not sure where to start, check out The Read-Aloud Family.
Learn about the different homeschooling styles so that it’s easier to search for relevant tips. You can learn about different homeschooling styles here. And if you don’t finish the full curriculum, don’t stress over it. There’s so much overlap in the grades that missing some lessons at the end of the year doesn’t really matter. What matters is finishing the year, taking time off to rest, and enjoying time with your children.
There is no one right or wrong curriculum. Take some time to decide what you want your children’s education to look like and find the curriculum that works for your family. And remember, there will be hard days — this is not an easy task, but it is totally worth it. {Fifty Reasons to be Thankful for Home School (on the Hard Days)}
Seek community. You are not on your own in this homeschooling journey! A helpful, inspiring homeschool community can do wonders for your morale. If you don’t belong to a homeschool community, there are many options available. You can join a local association, co-op, or even an encouraging online homeschool group. At SchoolhouseTeachers, the Mama’s Corner has regular get-togethers to foster community!
Don’t be scared to change if something isn’t working. That’s one of the great things about homeschooling- you can change to suit you and your kids’ needs. You can change schedules, curriculum, topics, routines, anything…and it will all be just fine. Remember your WHY. Why did you start homeschooling? What’s your ultimate goal here? In A Parent’s Alphabet, we lay out several reasons, from A to Z, to help you refocus.
For high school students, follow your state’s graduation requirements. There are usually multiple tracks – one for college-bound students and one for general education – and it is of the utmost importance that you follow them if your child is college-bound. You can learn more about transcripts and requirements here.
Sometimes you just get a little bit down, or off-kilter. When that happens, and it will, look to Words of Encouragement for New (or Weary) Moms. You’ll find yourself bouncing back in no time!
Maybe you just have too many things going on at once. We know…we’ve been there, too. In Prioritizing Your Life, you’ll find a free downloadable e-book to help you sort things out, find more time in the day, and settle in a bit.
Every mom, homeschooling or otherwise, can use a bit of pampering in her life! Like they say on the airplanes, if you don’t put your oxygen mask on, you can’t save someone else. Or in this case…when mom’s burnt out and ready to give up, nothing is getting accomplished. Find your zen in Pampering for the Homeschool Mom.
A schedule is your servant, not your master, but schedule is a wonderful tool to help you accomplish your homeschooling goals, and just because you have a plan for each day doesn’t mean each day will go according to schedule. You will have interruptions, accidents, spills, and people dropping in. But you can take control! See how Flexible Scheduling Can Work for You.
The initial excitement of homeschooling is important. It helps plunge you into a whole new way of thinking and living. Over time, however, and as you progress, the excitement sometimes wanes and the demands of homeschooling can become overwhelming, exhausting, engulfing. Remember to focus on Personal Wellness and Homeschooling for long-term success!
Homeschooling is a full time job. Act like it. Just because you don’t have to drive anywhere doesn’t mean you can’t have special school hours where nothing else gets scheduled. Guard your time you set aside, whenever that time is. All the other things can be scheduled around the few hours you need to get school time accomplished. See how you can manage the Hardest Part of Homeschooling, when it’s not the kids.
You really can leave grade levels and school metrics behind, and build an interest-led, completely personalized homeschool experience for your children based in your unique family culture. Finding a mentor, another homeschooling parent to talk to regularly, is a huge boost! Need a hand up? See 5 Homeschooling Mentors You Need to Follow.
When we fill our well up, we’re doing our family a favor. When we take care of ourselves, we have a better self to give. We are more present, we probably check our phones less often, and because our needs are met, we enjoy our time with our children. The time we give to ourselves matters and can help us to let go of any resentment and anger. Pick up strategies for prioritizing at A Home School Mom’s Guide To Self-Care And Keeping Anger At Bay.
Whatever you are great at, whatever makes your heart happy, whatever your child/children do well with —do that first. It may seem counterproductive to start with the one subject or thing that where you are actually on target or ahead when you feel like you are behind in everything else, but it usually results in more cooperative and happy kids. See other things to try When Your Homeschool Moring Is Giving You The Blues.
Writing is an integral part of the language arts classes taught at Sparks Academy. We offer four levels of instruction, each building upon the last, until students are ready to write in any form requested of them – whether at a career or college! But maybe you don’t want a full class….how can you make writing fun at home?
Literature Studies & Living Books
What are living books, and how can you use them to make your homeschool shine? Get all the tips & tricks in Using Living Books to Homeschool. Scroll down to snag pre-made bundles of novel studies!
Another fun option for teaching writing is through the language arts classes Sparks Academy! There are four levels offered currently, including High School 1, High School 2, High School 3, and Level 7. (The last one is for 7th/8th/9th grade, depending on your student’s skills.) This is an online co-op, with weekly student interaction in the private classroom forum. Learn more here.
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Animal Science – ONLINE COURSE$15.00
Homeschool Pathways Consultation Package$87.00
Homeschool Survival!$5.00
A Genius in Every Seat!$5.00.jpg)
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